One By One
by Sorceress Akemi
Summary: Dilandau's Dragon Slayers are disappearing by the hand of some mysterious force. This does nothing for Dilandau's state of mind, of course...


Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Escaflowne, nor do I claim to. If I did, I wouldn't have to write these things, though doubtless I still would.   
  
Brief Note: Imbrium, this is for you.  
  
  
  
Click...click...  
  
The glow of the screen illuminated the face of a teenage boy with short, poofy, pale hair, dressed in blue and black armor. He stared intently at it, hand poised on the mouse.  
  
Another click...  
  
  
  
_Kaboom._  
  
~~~  
Damn it, where's Guimel? asked a certain silver-haired Dragon Slayer captain. He's late. When I get my hands on him... Dilandau clenched his fists.  
  
He must be around here somewhere, Master Dilandau. Another Slayer spoke up. It was Miguel.   
  
Dilandau stomped over to the boy and smacked him. I know that, idiot. He continued to rant.  
  
Behind Miguel, a few feet back, another Slayer, Gatti, was silent. He had a plan for later, and didn't need it spoiled by a missing comrade. Perhaps Guimel would turn up before then.  
  
Yes, everything would turn out well in the end.  
  
~~~  
However, Guimel did not turn up that day. Not one peep was heard from him, and the Vionne was searched consequently. He Guymelef was still in the hanger, so it was clear that he had not left that way.  
  
Gatti was slightly concerned, but he didn't let it trouble him too much. That night, after the halls had grown silent, he crept out to a secret destination.  
  
~~~  
With a soft hum, the screen came to life beneath the Slayer's fingertips. He guided the cursor across the display, and opened a file.  
  
He said softly, a grin coming to his lips.  
  
Click...click...  
  
The small, yellow face smiled at him as he selected square after square.  
  
Click...click...  
  
The face's pleasant smile turned sour as he chose the wrong square.  
  
_Kaboom._  
  
~~~  
Two Slayers? In a row? What is this, a conspiracy? Dilandau fumed. Because if so, the joke's on them. I don't stand for this sort of shit.  
  
He stomped around the room. Do any of you know where they went? his tone was not pleasant. I'll brook no insubordination in my Slayers.  
  
No, Master Dilandau. Chesta spoke up. Dilandau stalked over to the pale-haired boy.   
  
What do you have to say? The glint in the pyromaniac's eye was dangerous.   
  
Chesta kept perfectly still. They wouldn't pull this kind of prank. Something must have happened to them.  
  
Dilandau whapped him. I'm aware of that. He paused for a moment. Search the Vionne. Again. I want them found. Check everywhere three times. With that, he turned on his heel and left.  
  
The Slayers gulped quietly as one.  
  
~~~  
Not a trace was found of either missing boy, though there were some suspicious-looking purple socks in Gatti's closet, and someone found a couple of old feathers in the hall outside Dilandau's room. However, no stray Dragon Slayers.  
  
Dilandau was beginning to be rather irritated.  
  
~~~  
What's this? pondered Dallet as he sat down. He read the instructions for the program open before him, and began to click the small, grey boxes.  
  
He was doing rather well, having cleared a goodly portion of the board, when the small yellow face at the top frowned at him.   
  
Oh, sh-  
  
_Kaboom.  
  
_~~~  
Dilandau bellowed. I'll search the entire length and breadth of this stupid fortress myself, if I have to! We will FIND those goddamned Slayers!  
  
The remaining few looked slightly worried.  
  
~~~  
And again, no trace was found throughout the day.  
  
Yes, Dilandau was getting royally pissed.  
  
~~~  
That night, Miguel disappeared. No one could find him anywhere. It was if he had vanished out of thin air, despite the fact that Dilandau had ordered them all into one room, beside his own, where he would hear any disturbance. Now, the remaining two Dragon Slayers were very worried.   
  
Where could they have gone? Chesta wondered aloud. The usually silent Viole stared pensively into space across from him, perched on a second cot.  
  
I don't know. The boy said softly. He fiddled absently with the straps on his boots.  
  
Chesta closed his eyes. I only hope that whatever it is, it doesn't get Master Dilandau.  
  
~~~  
Another night, another disappearance. It was Chesta this time, leaving Viole by himself to deal with Dilandau's growing rage. The red-armored captain had ordered the wavy-haired boy to sleep on a cot in his room for the time being, until the others were found. Viole thought he heard a very faint, muffled explosion, but that wasn't unusual with Master Dilandau in a state such as he was.  
  
~~~  
That night, Dilandau wandered the halls. He'd find out what had taken his soldiers, and kill it. Slowly.  
  
A glow caught his eye, and he followed it to a room he had never seen before. That in itself was odd, because he could have sworn he'd fought at least once in every room in the Vionne.  
  
A chair rested before a strange screen, which had a game of some sort open on it's surface. Around the chair was scattered various bits and pieces of armor.  
  
This only served to incite Dilandau's rage.  
  
He growled softly. Now I get it. he said to the no one in particular. The small yellow face smiled cheerily at him, inviting, beckoning him in.  
  
Of course, that sort of thing never worked on Dilandau.  
  
He tapped the chair, looked at the screen again, and read the name of the game.  
  
  
  
He looked again at the bits of armor, and recognized them as belonging to his missing Slayers. Fury caused his body to tremble.  
  
One by one, they played the game...  
  
With a screech, the deadliest Zaibach soldier yanked his personal flamethrower from his back, where he'd been carrying it, and torched the display. The yellow face's mouth turned into an O' just before it was incinerated.  
  
Not satisfied, Dilandau kicked the blackened _thing_ off of it's resting place, to the floor, and stomped on it. Pieces of charred screen scattered everywhere. When he was finished with that, he toasted it again.  
  
That'll teach _you_ to mess with _my_ Slayers.  
  
With that, he brushed his hands together and walked off, muttering under his breath about yellow faces blowing up his Dragon Slayers.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: I have wondered for a while about what there is to write about Minesweeper by itself. The answer still escapes me.


End file.
